The stories never name the mayor of Dorval, and often include photos of Régis Labeaume, who is the mayor of Quebec City.

The City of Dorval publicly issued a clarification on its website in 2015, decrying the "false news" circulating online.

"The City of Dorval wishes to denounce this false article and resents this identity usurpation," reads the notice. "Internet users across the world have published this false news as it was true, and the Mayor would like to set the record straight by saying that, on no account, he, nor any the City’s representatives, have made such comments."

Other versions of the hoax claim that it was a mayor in Belgium or Australia who wrote the stern letter. But for whatever reason, the Dorval version of the hoax seems to be the most successful one.

Ishmael N. Daro is a reporter for BuzzFeed News and is based in Toronto. PGP fingerprint: 5A1D 9099 3497 DA4B